How to Enroll In the Best Esthetician College Near Athens Ohio
Since you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Athens OH, the task begins to locate and enroll in the ideal program. It's important that the program you select not only furnishes the necessary education for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be rather confused about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Athens home. Tuition will likewise be a critical consideration when reviewing possible schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it's not necessarily the best option. There are various other considerations that you should weigh when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what types of programs are available.
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Esthetician Training Programs
Esthetics school is an investment of time, energy, and money. Requirements vary from state to state, but the majority of states require that you complete at least 600 hours of training. Full-time school can take an average of six months to complete, and part-time school can take anywhere from 9-12 months. The primary purpose of esthetics school is to get you ready to pass the state licensing exam. They also teach basic skills that you will need to perfect through experience and sometimes additional classes, such as giving facials, body treatments, and performing waxing. More advanced training includes learning to work with machines, such as IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) and Lasers used to rejuvenate the skin and permanently remove hair.
Esthetician Job Description
Estheticians provide a wide range of beauty services to help their Athens Ohio clients look and feel better. This includes improving the quality of the skin (including the treatment of skin disorders), hair removal, permanent makeup application, and facial massage. Some types of estheticians, like medical estheticians, provide highly specialized procedures that require detailed training in order for it to be done safely and effectively. Medical estheticians can help individuals suffering from serious skin disorders, burns, and other trauma, and to help with pre and post-operative surgery affecting the health of their skin. Estheticians work closely with their clients in a friendly and positive manner, so an enthusiastic attitude and desire to help people is an excellent attribute for an aspiring esthetician to possess. Some of the basic duties an esthetician may perform will include such tasks as:
- Assessing a patient’s needs
- Chemical peels
- Laser treatments
- Waxing
- Facials
- Massage of the head and neck
- Microdermabrasion
Online Esthetician Schools
Online esthetician schools are convenient for Athens OH students who are employed full-time and have family obligations that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many web-based beauty school programs offered that can be attended through a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty programs are often fast paced because many courses are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours outside of your home or driving back and forth from classes. However, it's imperative that the training program you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors in order that you also receive the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to acquire the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So don't forget if you choose to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.
Questions to Ask Aesthetician Degree Programs
Following is a series of questions that you need to investigate for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Athens home, as well as the price of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have put together some of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's necessary to make sure that the esthetician school you select is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Athens OH employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Each esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly regarded. Check rating services for reviews together with the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Athens OH salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not thought of. And last, check with the Ohio school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you pick a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your objective is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your aspiration is to open a Athens OH beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Picking a highly ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you need.
Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Practicing and refining esthetician techniques and abilities demands lots of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a beauty academy furnishes limited or no scheduled live training, but rather relies heavily on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best option for cultivating your skills. So search for alternate schools that offer this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's essential that he or she receives help in finding that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance maintain relationships with Athens OH businesses that are looking for skilled graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? The majority of esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students as well. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not discard it as an alternative until you learn what financial aid may be available.
Learn How to Become an Aesthetician in Athens
Enroll in the Best Athens Esthetician Training
Choosing and enrolling in the right esthetician college is essential to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel certain about your decision. Make sure to organize all of the information you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that information to contrast schools. A good beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the school and program you pick are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and address the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are ready to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Athens Ohio.